Into the Wild Wood and Home Again

Raining again.  At least there's evidence that my little bean plants are growing-- I saw little nubs yesterday! And the forecast for tomorrow is not so dire, and that will be helpful. We still have the shrubs to put in. And G has some repairs to make on the outside water line. That requires getting under the deck to cut and splice line-- dirty and spidery work. Bleah. Without it, we will not have any water source for gardens or the pool. Ah, the pool. If the weather ever improves, right? My goal had been to put it up mid-May to let it warm up and be ready to use. Yep. We've had snow, and incessant rain. Maybe by mid-June at this rate. No rush, though, if the water is still broken. Today, it's errands and computer work. And some laundry. Boring, perhaps. But satisfying, when it's all done. I've got to figure out dinner-- G doesn't want to go out, so that means I'll have to get creative. Probably something chicken. And tonight is Lisbon's prom, and unfortu...

How wonderful-- it's not raining, and it's not cold.  The garden boxes seem to be doing okay, though it appears that some dang bug or other has already attacked the squashes. I swear-- I'm not in the biz of feeding pests. I'll spray them this afternoon with neem oil and hope for the best. I have the worst luck with squash. The tomatoes appear to be doing well, and I'm still waiting on the last order of plants-- more tomatoes, some basil, and sage.  Peas are reaching up, carrots are feathering along well, and I spotted one green beans poking through-- maybe they didn't rot in the box. Hope not. It's getting on a bit in the season, and I want green beans! The lettuces are doing their thing, too-- they are in partial shade, so maybe they won't bolt.  It's good to see things growing. It's a positive sign. And the trees that bloomed are moving toward setting little nubs that will become fruit-- all hopeful signs, I think.  And my two AP syllabi that I...

  “So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for ages or only for hours, nobody can say.” ―  Virginia Woolf,  A Room of One’s Own Quite often, I feel really guilty about not writing more, writing reliably, like clockwork or house work. I write this little blog post daily, of course, but mostly it's just me rambling on while trying to wake up and make some sense on the page. Sometimes it feels like a chore, but I am trying my best to keep a date with my writing muse, even if I'm a boring date.  I have tried the write-a-poem-draft-every-day-for-30-days thing; it worked last April, but not this time around. I've given myself prompts. I have written a few things with my students. But mostly, if I don't "hear" a line in my head, I have little to nothing to write. Or if I force it, it sure looks like I forced it. No surprise there. How did I ever get a body of work --published stuff-- that is almost 100 poems? The ...

Lo and behold, maybe spring has chosen to arrive for real? Although it's still darn chilly at night, I slept with the window open all night and I slept better than I have in ages. The pea trellis arrived yesterday, and Holly and I put it up. She's a good helper. My carrots are doing well, the tomatoes and squash plants are managing okay-- but where the hell are the beans? I planted them, but I wonder if too much rain has rotted the seeds. I'll be a bit more patient, but usually green beans are popping up in no time. We shall see.  We still have some yard work and planting to go, but I'm feeling a little more on top of things. I didn't wash the deck windows yet-- too much pollen still, so why bother? It'll abate soon enough, and then it'll make sense to do the windows. And the weather was glorious yesterday. And looks to be good again today. G is going to mow the grass, and maybe string trim-- depends on what he feels up to. He got a spring cold (and shared i...

I got the garden boxes planted! And then, last night, we almost had a frost. Figures. I'm glad we didn't; while the plants have been outside on the steps since I got them, putting them out there all alone in the wide world feels like abandoning them.  This is a slow spring, eh? At least the weather was glorious yesterday, and I got to spend some outdoor time with both Holly and Meg. We celebrated Tim's birthday over dinner, too; first grill day of the season. Simple fare, just chicken (I precooked it in the oven) and a tortellini salad with veggies and pepperoni. Meg made a cake, and we had that with a little ice cream on the side.  I'm working my way through a free course from Harvard online that focuses on the ghost in Hamlet . It's interesting, but I have to wait for other participants to post their comments, so I can post on theirs, in order to proceed. I don't mind the posting, but the waiting for others to do their work part tries my patience. It's not...

Memorial Day I get conflicted about holidays that are meant to celebrate or memorialize military veterans. Yes, their choice to serve (or forced service, in the case of some who were drafted) is honorable and should be marked, solemnly and advisedly. What is not often mentioned is the sacrifice their families made.  Wives, sisters, mothers, fathers, brothers, and children all pay a price, too-- and often, they are left without the support and love of the ones who were lost. We say proud and thankful words for those who served, but don't the families serve, too? They are given very little recognition, and their sacrifices are disregarded too often, even by some in the government that their loved ones served.  For those who have lost loved ones, today is one of the days that there is a public acknowledgement of the choices made and the prices paid. Today is the holiday that focuses on those who died. (Veterans' Day is for all who served honorably.) And I hope that their choice t...

G and I went out to dinner last night, and it was lovely. We went to the Littleton Freehouse, which is an eclectic pub/restaurant that is situated in a refurbished auto garage. We've always liked the place, but we don't get to go often, mainly because it's always super busy. We took the chance and went early-- there by five pm-- and got right in. I'm glad we went when we did; by 5:30 it was packed and noisy. That's the only drawback; due to the wide open space and super high ceilings, it does get loud in there. But the crabcakes were superb-- they are only on the menu in the summer, and the tossed greens with light dressing, the seasoned fries, and the lovely crabcakes with chipotle aioli were just what I wanted. G got the fish and chips, with a starter of clam chowder-- he was really pleased as well. So, all in all, good dinner. And we were home before 6pm. (We are getting old, I think. lol) I plunked down on the couch, watched the end of the Sox game (they lost, b...

Today is the start of Memorial Day Weekend, which is both the unofficial start to the summer season, but is also the start of Lilac Festival Weekend in Lisbon, where I teach. Either way, this low-40s and drizzly weather is really not what anyone would hope for. I'm getting too old to go out in the wet and cold to get fried dough and watch a parade. What I am doing today is pretty low-key, compared to the work I've been tasking myself with over the last couple of weekends.  Today will be a "normal" Saturday: groceries and errands, folding some laundry, doing some computer work. I'll probably tidy things up here and there, too. If the weather should choose to improve, I do have some things I want to do, like arrange the deck furniture and put up new solar lights. Probably that'll wait until tomorrow. G and I will be doing the rest of the garden project, and he's got a list of other outdoor chores he wants to putter around with. I plan to put the garden sets ...

I never said I wanted to live in "interesting times."  The news gets more fraught by the minute. The persistent rain and cold weather mirrors how I feel about things. We could all use a little sunshine. Sorry, friends-- I just don't have a whole lot to meander through. I hope you have a good day. We'll all try to find reasons to smile... C

I read the other day that to do things you enjoy is an act of resistance. That made me happy to think about; it's too often I (we?) get caught up in the seriousness and consternation of the present moment, and that tends to color our entire world view. I'm not just talking about the political drama, but also things more personal, like family illness and death. Or work troubles. Anything that throws our sense of balance and well-being off kilter.  So, even though it's a bit pricey, I'm trying to book tickets to do something that feeds the mind/spirit at least once a month with G. I don't think of it as "date night"-- no, this is "insisting on living with some peace and joy" instead. We went to a ball game for Mother's Day, we went to see a play last Sunday. I have tickets in July to see Judy Collins in concert. And I just booked us tickets to see The Producers in October. It's kind of like seasoning a soup. Without something to look forwa...

I zoomed in to a poetry reading last night, one during which Steven Ratiner, author of the book I just reviewed for MicroLit Almanac ( Grief's Apostrophe ), was reading from the book. It was delightful to put a voice to the words I'd spent some serious time with.  That said, I noticed in one of the little boxes of faces a name that rang a bell for me: Gail Mazur. I've never met her, but I've loved a poem of hers for many years, titled " Young Apple Tree ." How strange and lovely to see a face to put to the name on a poem I have taught over and over again! It's a funny and wonderful world, this community of poets. When I stop to think about how many poets I've met, talked with, listened to and learned from, it's staggering. I actually *know* these folks! One of my friend Dawn's essays, titled " Hated by Literature, " is in my official syllabus for AP Language (and also, since it's a dual credit course, College Composition I throug...

This cold/rainy/dreary weather pattern could stop anytime now. Yes, I fully enjoyed the handful of sunny and warm days last week, but seriously-- this dampness is depressing. We had to use the pellet stove last night and this morning because 41 and rainy is just dismal. Meg's middle school game got called for rain mid-first inning. Those poor kids have only had three games this whole season, and it's almost over.  And I'm tired of sweaters. Today's "secret teacher dress day" has a theme of monochromatic. The only color I have for both pants and tops is black. I'm going to look rather dismal myself. But it's a fun little morale thing started by one of the more fun teachers, so I try to participate. And the bonus is that I can wear a sweater I forgot I'd bought last fall. At least it's not one of the usual rotation.  Good stuff: my creative writing kids (all three of them) and I have been having a barrel of fun. They loved reading The Iliad (alou...

Yesterday was, for the most part, pretty relaxing. Holly came over to spend the morning, and we made cinnamon rolls. She loves to help with whatever is going on, but specifically, she is really enjoying learning about cooking and baking. I really didn't do as much of that with her mother, which was purely because we didn't have a traditional kitchen layout in our apartment when she was growing up. I'm thrilled to be able to do things like that now-- she is so happy to mix and count and help with the smaller, safer parts of whatever food we are working on. So now I have a pan of cinnamon rolls... =) The play that G and I went to in the afternoon ( Something Rotten ) was really fun; it was sort of a meta-play; it was a play about minor playwrights struggling under Shakespeare's shadow, and they develop a musical. Embedded were lots of allusions to other plays and works of literature, and some riotous tomfoolery with excellent musical talent and dancing. It felt like a dis...

I have to keep reminding myself I'm not 30 anymore. I started with the major weeding project on Friday (which escalated, as they do), then all day yesterday I pushed hard-- errands and groceries, changed the winter curtains to summer ones, washed half of the windows, cleaned the den and changed out throw rugs, washed all the curtains, then went with Holly to the garden center and bought plants. Then, made dinner. And promptly fell asleep on the couch before 9pm. There are so many things I want to get done, but frankly, I need a day of rest. I will pace myself better, going forward.  So, this week, I'll do another couple of windows (these are inside). I have a whole list of to-do stuff-- recall on my car (headlight thing?), setting up the deck for the summer (lights, furniture arranging), and I hope we'll have the new garden box all filled and ready to go next weekend. Then planting. If things shift, so be it, but I need to get the tomatoes and squash in dirt! And last year...

Ahhh so, I may be in the minority, but I'm siding with the student who recently graduated from Northeastern U. who sued (but was denied) to have her tuition for one course refunded (8K), all because her prof used AI while not allowing students in his class to do so. I don't blame her one bit. First, he didn't disclose the use, second, he didn't check the output (and it was flawed), and third, students are paying good money to be taught by human "experts"-- not AI, which they could essentially use for free.  I am on my school's AI committee, and we've drafted a policy for AI use/misuse for school, starting in the fall semester. It leaves the use of AI up to the individual instructor's choice, but does have some pretty solid guardrails-- I put them in there-- especially since these are high school kids who have yet to demonstrate that they can do the work without the assist. Cheating is cheating, and they are going to have to follow the rules or the ...

Yesterday was a little different; it was apparently senior skip day, and, coupled with a field trip that included juniors, I had not one single student show up. O, did I get a lot done. I tweaked and submitted syllabi to one of the partner colleges for the fall semester, and shined the others up-- in short, got my syllabi done (five of them) for next school year. I guess I'll be ahead of the game.  The funniest prank that the kids pulled was to put alarm clocks set to go off at different times up in the ceiling tiles-- which required the assistance of the custodian because I sure couldn't reach! They moved a few things in the classrooms, and took all the clocks off the walls, too. Their theme was "it's time!"--and indeed, it is. Today, seniors have to present their portfolios in front of panels (I'm on one). This is a project that asks them to reflect on a number of anchor questions, and to supply a visual and oral presentation that is a sort of "defense...

These last couple of lovely weather days have been a real treat. And yes, a real allergy fest... but it's nice to see all the fruit trees blooming. G built the new garden box yesterday, and now we just have to put down the black cloth and fill it. Unfortunately, this weekend looks wet yet again, but it's still a tad bit early to be putting in tomatoes and squash anyhow. I'd like to get the beans planted soon, though. That would not take long, so maybe I can squeeze that in somehow. I have a growing list of outdoor things I want to do, but not as much time as I'd like.  The rhubarb is going crazy! I do need to get out there and harvest a good bit of it-- I would love to pop a blueberry/rhubarb pie in the oven. I might have time today after the car appointment to get the winter tires off my car. I sure hope so. And tonight, there's a poetry reading online that I intend to listen to-- that will be a nice change of pace. The Red Sox have been systematically blowing it t...

I'm super tired this morning; busy dreams, restless sleep. Might be allergies, might be that I have a ton of work stuff on my mind, it might be the state of the nation/world-- at any rate, I'm not sleeping worth a tinker's dam, and frankly I am ready for summer vacation. Unfortunately, that is not for some time yet. That all said, though, the weather has improved immensely, and maybe after a full day at work followed by what promises to be a lengthy staff meeting, maybe I'll get to enjoy a little of it. Everything is blooming in our backyard, and while there is still a lot of die-back on the fruit trees and two small rose bushes look decrepit, mostly things are lovely and flourishing. I need to weed my strawberry bed-- I hope they are not entirely choked out by those pernicious weeds that pop up and take over. I looked those weeds up last year, and there's nothing much to be done short of scorched earth tactics. I think it's sometimes called Bishop Weed, and it ...

 ...ahhh the joys of home ownership, eh? We've been dealing with no light in the bathroom for a while now. First, it was slow to come on when the switch was flipped. Then, it just didn't come on. G thought it was the bulb (I had my doubts, but...)-- we had to order bulbs. They came in. It was not the bulb. Then G thought it was the starter. He changed those. It was not. Lo and behold, the light itself is dead. (As I thought, but y'know...) So, we had to order a new light fixture, because, for some inexplicable reason, the prior owner had made this particular light a ceiling mount, which of course eliminates most options that are bathroom fixtures, and all that are in the local store. So, we wait. We shower by camping lantern. The new light is supposed to be here sometime by the end of this week.  Then, we'll have to find a day for G to fix it.  Don't even get me started on the shower surround. It's old and showing us that it is likely not gonna last forever. And...

Yesterday was pretty darn good. We got to Manchester really early, so we didn't have to rush about at the ball park. It's still early days in the baseball world, so it was not crowded-- perfect, really-- and between the blue skies and the warm sun, it was pretty darn awesome to be outside watching a game. And the home team --the Fisher Cats-- won, beating the Yard Goats 7-2. The pitching was not dominant, but did the job. The fielding was really good, and there were some timely hits. A pretty lazy ball game punctuated by a few flurries of activity-- like I said, close to perfect, at least for us.  On the way home, we stopped off in Lincoln at Gordi's and had a nice impromptu dinner, and the owner (who is a friend) treated us to dessert. We shared a piece of lovely carrot cake-- again, perfect for us.  I slept pretty soundly last night-- lots of fresh air, sunshine, and a day "off" will do that. It promises to be a very busy week again this week, but the forecast i...

Mothers' Day--  This holiday did not start out as just a celebration of being a mom, having a mom, or being married to a mom. It was, instead, a day honoring those women who wanted to end war and has its American roots dating back to the Civil War. As a day to honor mothers, it goes even further back in history-- pre-Christian, even-- and let's be honest, where would any of us be without someone momming us? I got a cute card from a student the other day, in which she expressed thanks for me "momming" them through essays so they'd be more successful. Now that's a thing, isn't it? I truly appreciated the card and the specific thought in it-- it validates what I do as a teacher. Pretty fitting, since Mothers' Day falls at the end of Teacher Appreciation Week this year.  Today, we are going to make another attempt to attend a ball game. I hope that works out. Last night, we went out for dinner, which was nice. And G brought home a gorgeous hanging pot of f...

Funniest meme shared with me about the new Pope: Because there is a Chicago Pope, it stands to reason that there is also an MLA Pope and and APA Pope. Okay, that's nerdy humor, but it made me laugh.  I spent inordinate amounts of time this week working on syllabi for the AP course audits. Why I decided to go ahead with overlaying AP onto already dual credit courses is almost beyond me: I was fine, my life was okay, and I slept fairly well. Now, I'm stuck in a mire of paperwork. Bleah. I'll get it done, and then I'll sleep better. I hope that, once all this paperwork is submitted, it passes on the first try. I do not find this at all useful or amusing. And then I will have to replicate parts of it to submit to the host colleges for approval in their formats. Fun and games, eh? But it keeps certain factions of the ed biz happy, so...I do what I can.  My plans for today also include finally writing another poetry book review. My friend/editor at MicroLit Almanac is very pa...

I was entirely shocked by the election of Pope Leo XIV -- an American-born Augustinian! I am also pretty pleased (not that the College of Cardinals would have asked). He seems to be a gentle man, one who has served the needs of the poor for most of his adult life. As an Augustinian, he has promoted peace, help for the marginalized, and education. And by choosing the name Leo, it seems that he honors the originator of modern Catholic social teaching; it is not just enough to speak out about the needs of the marginalized peoples, we must act on their behalf.  I'm so glad that the election was not in favor of a hard-liner. And the ultra-conservatives in the US Catholic Church are spinning like tops. They are not happy. If anything, that tells me that the choice was a good one. Any church that weaponizes faith and that subverts teachings in order to justify hurting other people is wrong. Yes, I know that the Catholic Church has much to atone for; historically, the Church did much to hu...

The news is filled with dystopian things, and it's scary to even contemplate. I'm struggling to find a balance between being informed and being overwhelmed. I suspect many of you are finding that balance hard to achieve as well. Yesterday, I read about the canceling of NEA grants to many fine presses, some of which have published books by friends of mine. It's unbelievable to think that the silencing of writers is at hand. If there's no one to publish the books, to (in essence) give validation to the authors who are doing their best to make sense of the landscape-- both interior and exterior-- then we are all lost in a wilderness. A dark, barren one, at that. Banning books is apparently not enough; now we can't have new ones. Yes, self-publishing exists, but there's no guardrails there-- combine AI and self-publishing and we may as well read the backs of cereal boxes and call it great literature. (That is not to say that there are not good writers who choose to ...

You may well have seen this already on social media, but I'd like to add a style note to the already copious amounts of edits suggested by Harvard. The use of adjectives in this letter is embarrassing: "fabulous" and so on are inconsistent with an official letter of so-called reprimand. There are also unsupported claims and a whole lot of bluster. The series of questions come off as hysteria-- this is not a professionally-written letter, and it eminently laughable. This would not even make a good letter to the local paper. This woman is the Sec. of Ed. (I won't spell it all out-- she doesn't deserve that.)  Have a wonderful day. C

The writing life is a strange thing, eh?  I have had a few poems accepted lately (and an even number rejected), but the big surprise came two days ago in the form of an email at ten o'clock at night: my second chapbook is going to be published! Same publisher as before, but since the entries to the contest were read blind by an independent judge, it does not seem that they chose my manuscript because of prior association. I didn't win the contest (alas), but my work was one of eight non-placing books that were chosen for publication. I'll take it. I have no idea what the timeline looks like this go-around, but last time it was about eighteen months. Which is good-- I'm still reeling a little from the release of What to Keep . I'm still hoping to do some readings, but I have not been pushing that lately, what with school things and so on. I should be more aggressive, but there's only so much time in the day/week/month. So, the new chapbook is titled Relearning th...

Seriously. Podcasts. People talk about everything and anything from paperclips to politics. And they somehow get PAID TO DO IT. Where was I when that opportunity launched? Here I am, mucking along with my little daily blog with my trusty 8 or so readers, when I could be somehow being paid to blather on about stupid stuff? Hm. Imagine that.  And I'll keep imagining it, because it sounds weird and creepy to make people pay to listen to me. Well, the students' parents, through taxes, pay me to talk at their kids, I suppose. I can't figure out what I'd talk about, and to whom. Me, pontificating on poems, the weather, issues in education? O dear. Not that jazzy, to be sure.  But here you are, reading exactly that. I'm grateful.  It rained all day on Sunday, we did not go to the ball game in Manchester (though they played, and lost...), and so I occupied the couch and watched derpy TV. And scrolled Facebook. And, in sum, wasted a bunch of time. Call it self-care, re-setti...

Hints on how to control the weather: Kill a spider in the house= rain  🕷 My mother always said to hang your rosary out on the clothesline the night before an event for good weather (I have no clothesline)  ⛪ Wash your car= rain  🚙 Here's the most reliable one: Make plans to do something with nonrefundable tickets an outdoor activity= rain for sure ⚾ So, it's unlikely we will be heading to the ball game. It's even more likely that I'll end up having to absorb the cost of the tickets, because if it's just "showers," then they'll play, but sitting in super damp conditions for hours then driving home for almost two hours seems imprudent.  Sigh. So much for my one and only vacation plan. ☔⛈🌦 Hope your day is a good one, C

It's Saturday, and I guess that means it's the end of vacation week. I've accomplished pretty much what I set out to do, give or take a few things (like windows and curtains). No one is holding me accountable, so I guess I am okay with it. What I want to do is something fun. We have ball game tickets for tomorrow afternoon's game in Manchester, but the weather forecast is iffy (okay, rain yet again). Likely, we won't do a damned thing. We have not been out to dinner, no movies, no nothing. Sigh. I'm itchy to do something noteworthy, something interesting, something different. Likely, if we end up staying home tomorrow, it'll be more chores.  Ah well. Adulting at it's most obvious. Tedium. Today, I have laundry and reading/noting another poetry collection that I have agreed to review. And I'm okay with those things, too. At least the bird-song this morning was lovely. And it's not raining yet.  I hope you have a lovely day, C

Well, I've packed a lot of projects into this one little week "off" and I'm tired. Pleased, yes, with all of the things I've accomplished, but today, since it's a damp and rainy morning, I'm going to slow down and not get into yet another cleaning project. I was going to wash windows and take down the winter curtains, but y'know...that can wait until next Saturday. I don't feel like getting up and down, up and down on and off the step stool. I would like to just putter my way through the day. Actually, through today and tomorrow, and maybe even Sunday. Who knows?  What I do know is that the last month of school is usually a barely controlled chaos, and I'd better rest a little. Field trips behind us (for the most part), we'll now have meetings, presentations, seniors-this-and-that, and the omnipresent calendar shouting "we still have work to do..."-- and we do. Then it's all about wrapping things up, and doing the end of the y...

Up and it's quite chilly; a good morning to be a little slower, to enjoy the pellet stove's warmth, to watch the little blobs of yellow bouncing around the back yard, going first to the feeder, then to the hedge, and suddenly bobbing off toward the taller trees. I love watching the little finches-- gold, purple, brown-- and the bigger birds, too, the ground feeders and the ridge-pole sitters. I never really took note of birds all that much until we were forced into isolation during Covid, but now I'm glad I paid attention. They are amusing, and they bring moments of joy at all hours, right up until dusk when the robins are warbling. I found a bird's nest in my rose bushes yesterday! I'm not sure if it's an old one, or a new construction-- it looked pretty dry and old, but I can't tell. No eggs in it, so there's that. I pruned all the dead parts of the rose hedge, and only sustained minor scratches. The die-back for the bigger bushes was minimal, but the ...